DepEd seeks stronger gun safety after child shooting in GenSan

The Department of Education (DepEd) on Wednesday called for stronger gun safety measures following another shooting incident involving a minor.

In a statement, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the incident reflects a troubling pattern of firearm exposure among children, citing the growing concern over violence involving school-age children.

“Ang kaligtasan ng mga mag-aaral ay hindi nagtatapos sa pintuan ng paaralan. Nagsisimula ito sa ating mga tahanan. Hindi natin kayang protektahan ang ating mga kabataan kung hindi tayo magtutulungan bilang isang buong komunidad,” Angara said.

(The safety of students does not end at the school gates. It starts at home. We cannot protect our youth unless we work together as one community.)

DepEd issued the statement after a nine-year-old student was critically injured when a .38-caliber pistol accidentally discharged while the child was playing with a 13-year-old friend inside a house in General Santos City.

Aside from the General Santos City incident, a 13-year-old student in Las Piñas City was stabbed to death earlier this week, allegedly over a dispute involving P10 in change.

Angara said that there was a concerning pattern of firearm exposure among the youth, citing the Tacloban shooting in June that killed three students.

Angara said that safely storing firearms is not only a legal obligation but also a moral responsibility that can help prevent such tragedies.

DepEd urged the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other law enforcement agencies to strengthen the enforcement of gun safety laws by conducting stricter background checks on gun owners, regularly inspecting the storage of licensed firearms, and intensifying the crackdown on illegal firearms.

The department also called on parents and guardians to teach children about gun safety, stressing that they should never touch a firearm and should immediately report any visible weapon to a trusted adult.

DepEd likewise reiterated its zero-tolerance policy prohibiting firearms, ammunition, bladed weapons, and explosives in all schools.

Under the department's National Policy Framework on Learners and Schools as Zones of Peace, schools are designated as "zones of peace," where learners are entitled to special protection and must never be the targets of violence. — MCG, GMA News